When Kentucky lawmakers begin writing a new state budget next month, they’ll be asked to fund a family court position in Daviess County.
State Supreme Court Chief Justice John Minton, Jr. says Owensboro is the largest area of the state without a family court judge.
"We do have an obligation for family courts, in my opinion, across the state. We have not been able to roll that out across the state due to financial constraints," Minton told WKU Public Radio.
Family court judges preside over divorce, custody, and domestic violence cases. Currently, those cases in Daviess County are heard by district and circuit judges.
The goal of family court is to keep the cases in front of a single judge rather than having the cases bounce back and forth between multiple judges.